Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Enjoyed this book very much. As good as her earlier series and look forward to more of the same. Love Toby and how she came to have him. All our animals are rescues, so we know how the feelings can grow with these animals. We have 3 cats and one dog.
Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed Purr M for Murder (Cat Rescue, Bk 1) on + 862 more book reviews
Sydney McCall leaves her fast paced life to return home to assist her sister in running the local animal shelter. When the landlord proposes a large rent increase to the town's shopkeepers, including the shelter, Syd & her sister plan on meeting with him to persuade him not to go through with it. What they find instead is his body. There are quite a few suspects, including Syd's sister, and she is determined to clear her sister's name and find the killer. Assisted by her rescued cat, Toby, Syd uncovers an art fraud ring and the killer. Romance looks like it's in the works for her as well.
Purr M for Murder is the first installment in the A Cat Rescue Mystery series featuring Sydney "Syd" McCall, Publicity Consultant for Friendly Paws, an animal shelter in Deer Park, North Carolina. Syd has left her Director of Marketing position in New York City after discovering her fiancée was cheating on her and has moved back to her hometown to work with her sister Katherine "Kat" at the shelter.
Excited for their first big event which will be a Cat Café, an opportunity for people to meet and hopefully adopt a few cats being held at their friend Dayna Haper's pastry and coffee shop. Unfortunately, Trowbridge Littleton, the towns most influential citizen, is voicing his displeasure about the event and would also like to see the shelter closed permanently. When the sisters make an early morning call to Littleton's office to try to reason with him, they discover him dead. Kat immediately becomes a prime suspect as she'd been heard arguing with him the night before. Determined to clear her sister's name and save the shelter, Kat sets out to find the real killer.
A fun, fast paced, quick read with a delightful cast of characters including Syd's best friend and room mate Leila Addams and Syd's high school sweetheart now Detective Will Worthington. Terrific animals especially the wandering "Toby", a large gold and white tabby cat with a penchant for adventure will have you running to the nearest animal shelter to adopt your own furry friend.
Excited for their first big event which will be a Cat Café, an opportunity for people to meet and hopefully adopt a few cats being held at their friend Dayna Haper's pastry and coffee shop. Unfortunately, Trowbridge Littleton, the towns most influential citizen, is voicing his displeasure about the event and would also like to see the shelter closed permanently. When the sisters make an early morning call to Littleton's office to try to reason with him, they discover him dead. Kat immediately becomes a prime suspect as she'd been heard arguing with him the night before. Determined to clear her sister's name and save the shelter, Kat sets out to find the real killer.
A fun, fast paced, quick read with a delightful cast of characters including Syd's best friend and room mate Leila Addams and Syd's high school sweetheart now Detective Will Worthington. Terrific animals especially the wandering "Toby", a large gold and white tabby cat with a penchant for adventure will have you running to the nearest animal shelter to adopt your own furry friend.
Purr M for Murder by T.C. LoTempio is the first book in A Cat Rescue Mystery series. Sydney McCall has returned home to Deer Park, North Carolina after catching her fiancé in flagrante with his secretary. Since Preston Renshaw III was the boss's son, Sydney quit her job as Director of Marketing at Reid and Renshaw. Her sister, Kat needed her assistance with the Friendly Paws Animal Shelter. Donations have been down and their last two fundraisers did not elicit many funds. Kat is hoping Sydney can apply her marketing prowess to the shelter. Sydney's first idea is to hold a cat café at Dayna's Sweets and Treats. It will help raise funds and, hopefully, some cats will find forever homes. Trowbridge Littleton, owner of The Brush and Canvas, is against their event and confronts Kat. It ends with Kat threatening Mr. Littleton (not a wise move on her part). Sydney decides to talk to Mr. Littleton the next morning and arrives at his gallery around 6 a.m. Sydney finds the door open, but no one answers her call (you can see where this is heading). Sydney is startled when Kat turns up next to her (she had been watching for Sydney across the street). They find their way to office and find it has been ransacked. Kat admires a beautiful antique cabinet and is insistent upon looking inside. They open the doors and Trowbridge Littleton falls out. When the police arrive, Sydney is started to discover that Will Worthington (high school crush, of course) is one of the detectives. It is soon apparent that Kat is the primary suspect. It seems that Kat has been holding back on a few details. Sydney puts on her detective cap and sets out to find the real perpetrator with the help of her new cat, Toby (master escape artist). But the killer must take action when Sydney gets a little too close for comfort.
Purr M for Murder is easy to read and nicely written. I found that the book had a good pace which made it easy to read. I appreciated the pet rescue element in the book. It will help make readers aware of the problems facing animals in our society (there are too few no-kill shelters). I liked the main characters of Kat, Sydney and Toby. Toby was a great addition to this tale. Without Toby, Purr M for Murder would not have been as entertaining (he elevated the story). I give Purr M for Murder 4 out of 5 stars. I do wish, though, that the mystery had been a little more complex. It was evident which character would get murdered (the nastiest). Solving the crime was easily discernable. There is one big clue that gave it away early in the story (at least to me). I am hoping that in the next book the author will not put the murder or crime so early in the novel (it makes for the book feel long). I liked the subtle attraction between Will Worthington and Sydney. It is low-key and plays out nicely in the background until the end. I do wonder, though, why authors feel the need to provide a romantic counterpart for their main character in the first book. I like a little romance in my cozies, but I like it when it plays out slowly over the course of the series. I thought the ending was uplifting and cute. With a few tweaks, I believe this will be a pleasurable cozy mystery series. I am looking forward to reading the next book in A Cat Rescue Mystery series.
Purr M for Murder is easy to read and nicely written. I found that the book had a good pace which made it easy to read. I appreciated the pet rescue element in the book. It will help make readers aware of the problems facing animals in our society (there are too few no-kill shelters). I liked the main characters of Kat, Sydney and Toby. Toby was a great addition to this tale. Without Toby, Purr M for Murder would not have been as entertaining (he elevated the story). I give Purr M for Murder 4 out of 5 stars. I do wish, though, that the mystery had been a little more complex. It was evident which character would get murdered (the nastiest). Solving the crime was easily discernable. There is one big clue that gave it away early in the story (at least to me). I am hoping that in the next book the author will not put the murder or crime so early in the novel (it makes for the book feel long). I liked the subtle attraction between Will Worthington and Sydney. It is low-key and plays out nicely in the background until the end. I do wonder, though, why authors feel the need to provide a romantic counterpart for their main character in the first book. I like a little romance in my cozies, but I like it when it plays out slowly over the course of the series. I thought the ending was uplifting and cute. With a few tweaks, I believe this will be a pleasurable cozy mystery series. I am looking forward to reading the next book in A Cat Rescue Mystery series.
